A political observer and high school educator notes that Cameroonians often resist progress, preferring the status quo and relying on personal connections. What would be considered scandalous elsewhere has become normalized here.

In a recent commentary, Armand Noutack II expressed his dismay that Cameroon seeks change only when it does not interfere with personal illicit gains. He highlighted how some individuals portray themselves as fierce opponents by day, yet secretly meet with ministers at midnight to negotiate poorly executed public contracts for substantial profits.

“CAMEROON, WHO TRULY DESIRES CHANGE?” Noutack II questioned.

The recent state payroll audit initiated by Minister Motaze has brought many insights to light. It reveals that Cameroon truly desires transformation only if individual fraudulent interests remain untouched.

Noutack II pondered whether this pervasive system of corruption was intentionally designed by President Biya or if he merely tolerated it to maintain power.

He observed that Cameroonians are not inherently progressive; they embrace the existing order and thrive on personal networks. Practices considered blasphemous in other nations have become commonplace in Cameroon.

He recounted a conversation with a uniformed officer, who, over a drink, asserted, “Motaze’s investigation will be futile; he cannot target the ‘big fish’ while pursuing the small gains of state agents.”

How can one genuinely advocate for change while simultaneously opposing an initiative designed to regulate and control state expenditures?

How can one genuinely desire change while manipulating market scales, selling one kilogram of meat at the price of two?

Some civil servants, claiming to seek change, have relocated from Cameroon to Canada, yet they entrust their bank cards to relatives who continue to collect their salaries in Cameroon. Once settled in the West, they are vocal on social media, demanding, “Paul Biya must go! We want change!” Noutack II challenged, “What change, dear compatriots? What service does the monthly salary your relatives receive correspond to for the Cameroonian state?”

Certain individuals present themselves as opponents, appearing on television during the day to decry the country’s state and criticize Paul Biya. Yet, by 11 PM, they are meeting with ministers, leveraging millions or personal connections to secure placements for their children, cousins, and nephews in prestigious schools.

Others, fierce critics by day, are found at midnight negotiating public contracts with ministers, which they then execute poorly to maximize their illicit gains.

“You, the merchant, loudly proclaim ‘change now! Paul Biya is bad, long live Senegal!’ but you evade taxes and tamper with product expiration dates to sell spoiled food. What kind of change do you truly seek?”

“The country is suffering, Biya must leave!” you declare, yet you arrive at the office at 10 AM and leave by noon to manage your shop at the central market or Mokolo. By the 25th of the month, you are the first in line at the bank.

You claim to want change, but you are the one selling grades to students and engaging in sexual and moral harassment. What change do you truly desire, my friend?

You thrive on deceit and adulterated goods, yet you attend every opposition meeting, shouting for change. You even fund electoral campaigns with ill-gotten money. What outcome do you expect from such actions?

“We are exhausted, truly tired of Paul Biya!” you lament, yet you tamper with your water and electricity meters in the neighborhood, even becoming an unofficial distributor of electricity to neighbors who pay you for energy you do not produce. Still, you attend all opposition rallies. If this change truly materializes, what will you live on, my friend?

“Look at Senegal, that’s democracy!” you exclaim, but here, you sell your convictions for 2000 FCFA, a piece of bread, and a T-shirt. No, you do not want change.

You litter indiscriminately, disregard all regulations, and dirty the streets, yet you stand behind an opposition figure, shouting for change. My friend, perhaps you should cleanse yourself at your village.

Do the doctors who abandon public hospitals to focus solely on their private clinics also desire change?

Do my police officer friends, whose primary aim on the road is to find drivers lacking complete documentation to solicit bribes, truly want change?

Do the promoters of private universities, offering grandiose programs solely for commercial gain and exploiting parents, fully aware that their graduates will have no career prospects, also desire change?

Do the journalists, whose headlines and reports each morning depend on the last phone call received at midnight, truly want change?

And my principal friends, who purchase their positions for millions and, once in office, exploit parents and cram students into classrooms like slaves on 15th-century ships, do you also desire change?

Do civil servants, whose demeanor is solely dictated by the envelope of cash handed to them by a user, truly want change?

Let us momentarily set aside ministers and high-ranking officials, whom we constantly accuse of corruption. As an ordinary citizen, are you truly committed to change?

The stark truth is that we are all corrupt. If it were merely superficial corruption, it might be understandable, but our very mentalities are compromised, and that is the painful reality!

Cameroonians only desire change where their fraudulent interests remain untouched, and this applies to all Cameroonians, especially those who label themselves as opponents.

If you cannot embody the change you wish to see in your country, then remain silent.

Noutack II urged individuals to provide birth certificates and school enrollment proofs for their children to justify family allowances. Otherwise, he warned, illegally received funds would have to be reimbursed, potentially leading to legal action.

He advised Minister Motaze to infiltrate every professional sector to identify and sanction field agents who succumb to corruption by fraudulent officials.

To rebuild the nation after President Biya’s eventual departure, it will be essential to dismantle the mental web of corruption that has ensnared all Cameroonians—both those in power and the